Its summer in NYC.  Everyday is packed with events, BBQs, or  rooftop parties, but we’re excited because Film Festival season is in full swing and we’re giving away tickets to the 11th Annual New York International Film Festival! Kicking off on July 27th and running through August 1st, the NYILFF will swill present over 100 films ranging from full length features, documentaries and shorts including several star-studded red carpet premieres.

HOW TO WIN TICKETS:

Follow us on twitter (@gakcity) and reply with “I want tickets to the NYILFF. Thanks Gakcity” .

We will randomly chose winners on July 22nd.

For more info on NYILFF – http://nylatinofilm.com/index.html

80 Minutes, 8 Candidates, 1 Answer, No Question.

Belvedere Presents: A Day in the Life of Christian Rich

Featuring N.E.R.D

Download “The Decadence” at christianrichgoods.com

Directed by
Davy Greenberg

Belvedere Presents: A Day in the Life of Christian Rich from Davy Greenberg on Vimeo.

#Life is an amazing journey on which every traveler must find his own path. The Life Anthology represents all of the emotions, issues, high & lows any one person can go thru in one day and sets them to a beat. Hip Hop has been omitted from contention when it comes to defining the average American life. This travesty has unfortunately alienated many rap/ hip hop fans who seek more than just doing a catchy dance or repeating a pathetically slurred chorus. In business, it has also distanced popular brands from really reaching the core of the hip hop community.

For almost 10 years I’ve written songs for Film & TV. It’s provided a living for me that I feel blessed by. What better way to stay true to my #life than to make short films about my passion and supply the music? The plan is to add to The Life Anthology every quarter with a new short film & EP.( I’m sure with the right help I could actually do this monthly…) Ultimately it is my aim to spearhead a movement in which the amazing parallel between hip hop & American culture can be identified & celebrated. Im not trying to promote some corny “unity” idea. I just want us to live BETTER as individuals.

We all breathe. We all bleed. We all have a beat. We live. Find your life. The Life Anthology.

The EP is available for free download right now at chrisclassic.bandcamp.com. To learn more about me chris-classic.com

Directed by Adam Saewitz
Co-directed & Written by Mike Mancini McConnell

The Life Anthology- (Volume 1) from Chris Classic on Vimeo.

Riding a wave of critical and commercial success for their group albums and solo projects, Donwill and Von Pea, two-thirds of acclaimed rap group Tanya Morgan, are proud to announce a new side project, The Sandwich Shop. Utilizing a host of original music by fan favorites, The Roots, the set will be released in the near future.

The Roots stint on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, gave birth to a host of original mini-tunes called ‘Sandwiches‘ performed during, and segueing to and from commercial breaks, often unheard by TV viewers. In late 2009 when The Roots’ Questlove released 22 of these sandwiches as a free download, Tanya Morgan members Donwill and Von Pea snapped them up, selecting a handful of the tracks to create their own project, naming the EP The Sandwich Shop.

The tracks on the EP take The Roots’ lush soul/funk infused arrangements and turn them into a Tanya Morgan journey with their trademark wit, and lyrical dexterity in tow. “The desire to hear what the beats would sound like with vocals on them, that was the number one focus,” explains Von Pea, continuing, “My hopes for this project is for the Tanya Morgan fans to enjoy it, and for The Roots to get a kick out of it.” For Donwill and Von Pea, crafting a project around music from Questlove and The Roots is hardly a stretch. First receiving a co-sign from the Questlove with the release of their 2006 debut, Moonlighting, Tanya Morgan and the drummer and Roots bandleader have crossed paths often, including on their 2009 sophomore album, Brooklynati, in which Questlove served as Mayor of the fictitious city of which the album revolved around.

Tanya Morgan has not only been one of the most lauded crews in the independent hip-hop scene, but also the most consistent. Donwill’s recent solo set Don Cusack in High Fidelity, released in March of 2010, set off a wave of positive reviews and press adding to the stockpile of great responses for the group as a whole. By borrowing beats from the legendary Roots crew, a shotgun marriage of top-notch hip-hop, soul, and lyrical bravado is poised to set the rap world abuzz again with the name Tanya Morgan.

To download Donwill & Von Pea’s The Sandwich Shop please visit: http://donwill.bandcamp.com/album/the-sandwich-shop

Check out the Sandwiches Teaser here: http://vimeo.com/11636545

Tanya Morgan presents: Donwill & Von Pea’s Sandwich Shop from Keap Hope on Vimeo.

Following an early preview a week ago, Nike Stadium now presents the full-length version of this new short film by Spike Lee, appropriately titled “Everything is Practice”. The piece highlights the acclaimed filmmaker through a day as an assistant coach on his son’s soccer league team in Chinatown, New York. Definitely an interesting look into the personal life of one of the film world’s most recognizable figures. Enjoy!

[hypebeast]

Phillip K. Dick adaptations rarely go wrong (Next does’t count)

Our favourite song from his recent “I Want You” mixtape.

Life Of a Lover from Theophilus London on Vimeo.

A random drug test coincides with a high school valedictorian’s first hit of pot. With his college scholarship at stake, he enlists the school’s biggest stoner to help nullify the results of the screening — by getting the entire student body high.

This looks………interesting.

“HIGH school” 4/20 TEASER TRAILER from “HIGH school” on Vimeo.

A day in the life of Wale, presented by Belvedere Vodka. Directed by 13thWitness. www.13thWitness.com